Oh the irony these days…But our family loves music. We love singing on top of our lungs and tapping our hands on any surface and dancing our butts off (well, at least La Chica and I do). We are always off-key and have near-perfect absence of both pitch and rhythm, but music makes us happy. So we sing. Because it makes us happy, never mind those within earshot. My daughter tells me she loves it when I sing; that in fact if she had money, she’d buy me singing lessons. I suspect she has been blessed with the passive-aggressive gene.

So you know I’ve been in a bah-humbug mood of late, just generally grumpy. It’s been a cold season of growth so far for many reasons. Then the other day a song came on the radio while I was driving, in bad weather, stuck in traffic, late for the kids’ music lessons. “Oh turn it up, turn it up!” they implore as they sing along.

It’s an upbeat, catchy tune by American Authors, “Best Day of My Life.” I tend to naturally gravitate towards NOT-so-upbeat songs. Everything is looking up? Oh really? Last time I checked….oh wait, hold that thought, they want me to sing along too. OK, fine.

I hear it calling outside my windowI feel it in my soul (soul)The stars were burning so brightThe sun was out ’til midnightI say we lose control (control)

This is gonna be the best day of my lifeMy li-i-i-i-i-ifeOo-o-o-o-oThis is gonna be the best day of my lifeMy li-i-i-i-i-ifeThis is gonna be, this is gonna be, this is gonna beThe best day of my lifeEverything is looking up, everybody up nowThis is gonna be the best day of my li-ifeMy li-i-i-i-i-ife

Those Oo-o-o-o-o’s were killing me, I didn’t feel very jazz-hand-y. But then it suddenly hit me. Yes! This IS the best day of my life! I can make every day the best day of my life. Of course. I feel it in my soul. Nothing remarkable or spectacular or sparkly happened today, but today IS the best day of my life if I decide to make it the best. day. ever. Oo-o-o-o-o…

But all the possibilitiesNo limits just epiphaniesWo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh

I’m never gonna look backWoah, never gonna give it up

Life–it keeps happening, minute by minute. The good, the bad, the ugly, the spaces in between, and all the glitter glue that binds it all together. All of it makes a gorgeous, textured mosaic that is life, all of these broken bits pieced together. I can be sad AND appreciate how wonderful life is. I can be grumpy IN a beautiful life. And I’m gonna make this the best day of my life. I’m not gonna give it up. Because tomorrow’s gonna be the best day of my life too. Oo-o-o-o-o…